comments 7

We will be able to run copies of our mind on a machine. We will be able to plug our minds into alternate realities matrix style. We will even be able to run avatars and experience everything they do. But I personally hold the view that this body is an anchor for something more. I wont call it a soul but i trust my gut feeling that there is something more.

This is called a belief. Science is not based of the argumentative nature of beliefs, rather educated guesses that we strive to disprove. If it cannot be disproved at this time, it’s a theory. Why not put that gut feeling to the test? Prove to everyone that your theory cannot be disproved.

I’ve always wondered about uploading. I have controllable epilepsy caused by faulty neuronic pathways. What’s to prevent my uploaded self from having a seizure? Does that sound too far out there to even consider?

I looked at the TOC and read some parts of some essays on Amazon. This certainly looks like a book (among few like it) worth reading! Unfortunately, it will not be available until August 18, 2014! And maybe then not in Kindle or Nook or other e-book formats, with or without DRM.

Overall a good introduction to the topic of uploading. Many of the important names in uploading have chapters in the book so it is a good place to start to get to know the field. Like any edited book the chapters are hit or miss but overall the quality is pretty good. Of note is that I had the Kindle edition and there were no formatting concerns.

Introduction II: Bring on the Machines
Russell Blackford
–Less well written introduction, but still worth reading

1 How Conscience Apps and Caring Computers will Illuminate and Strengthen Human Morality
James J. Hughes
– I like James Hughes but this chapter is about Apps for iphones and has nothing to do with uploading. Skip it unless you like the topic.

2 Threshold Leaps in Advanced Artificial Intelligence
Michael Anissimov
–Not about uploading, but about AI. Nevertheless it is worth reading and has a very interesting scenario of the emergence of accelerating AI.

3 Who Knows Anything about Anything about AI?
Stuart Armstrong and Seán ÓhÉigeartaigh
– Very interesting systematic look at predictions made in AI. Again nothing to do with uploading but worth reading.

4 Nine Ways to Bias Open-Source Artificial General Intelligence Toward FriendlinessBen Goertzel and Joel Pitt
– Long and at time dry chapter on ways to make AI human friendly. Nothing to do with AI, skip it if you don’t really like the topic.

5 Feasible Mind Uploading Randal A. Koene
– Randal Koene is one of the leading experts on the science of uploading so he is someone to pay attention to. The chapter was a little dry but worth reading.

6 Uploading: A Philosophical Analysis David J. Chalmers
–David Chalmers is the leading philosopher of mind and one of the great thinkers of out time. This chapter is basically a copy of the parts of his paper The Singularity: A Philosophical Analysis that have to do with uploading. You would be better off reading the paper as the editing job was a little sloppy and you can find it for free along with the rest of his papers at his website.

7 Mind Uploading: A Philosophical Counter-Analysis Massimo Pigliucci
–Very weak counter to Chalmers chapter taking Searle’s biological theories of consciousness as fact. Searle’s biological argument is actually very weak and probably incoherent but it is worth knowing the other side of the uploading arguments.

8 If You Upload, Will You Survive? Joseph Corabi and Susan Schneider
Another counter to Chalmers uploading chapter, very weak arguments but worth reading to get a different perspective.

9 On the Prudential Irrationality of Mind Uploading Nicholas Agar
–Very weak chapter, he states uploading is not better than embalming at preserving identity but has no real arguments.

10 Uploading and Personal Identity Mark Walker
–Probably the best chapter in the book regarding uploading and personal identity, worth getting the book for this alone.

11 Whole Brain Emulation: Invasive vs. Non-Invasive Methods Naomi Wellington
–Written by a graduate student and it shows. Don’t waste your time on this one, needs a lot of editing and revision before it could turn into a coherent argument.

12 The Future of Identity: Implications, Challenges, and Complications of Human/Machine Consciousness
Kathleen Ann Goonan
–I guess ever book needs one piece of complete post modern nonsense and this is that piece.

13 Practical Implications of Mind Uploading Joe Strout
Rather mundane predictions about what will be possible after uploading, especially after reading the chapter on Qualia Surfing.

14 The Values and Directions of Uploaded Minds Nicole Olson
Another mundane chapter on values and other predictions of uploads by someone with a very limited imagination.

15 The Enhanced Carnality of Post-Biological Life Max More
– Max More runs Alcor Cryogenics. An interesting chapter arguing for life extension to counter the nonsense in chapter 9 and 18.

16 Qualia Surfing Richard Loosemore
– Great chapter on the possibilities of uploading, enough seeds in this chapter for a generation of sci fi novels.

17 Design of Life Expansion and the Human Mind
Natasha Vita-More
– Poorly written, not about uploading and after reading it I have no idea what the point was. Skip this.

18 Against Immortality: Why Death is Better than the Alternative Iain Thomson and James Bodington
– The usual rationalization of people trying to talk themselves into accepting that death is good. It’s not, so skip this chapter unless you want to your intelligence insulted.

19 The Pinocchio Syndrome and the Prosthetic Impulse Victor Grech
– This chapter has nothing to do with uploading. It is all over the place but has some interesting discussions of AI examining cases from science fiction, mainly star trek and I actually enjoyed reading it.

20 Being Nice to Software Animals and Babies Anders Sandberg
— Sandberg may be the number one thinker on uploading and the odd title aside this is a great chapter on the ethics of uploads. If we are smart, we will follow Sandberg’s ethical guidelines. If not, we can’t really blame the machines for rebelling …

21 What Will It Be Like To Be an Emulation? Robin Hanson
–Very interesting and thoughtful chapter about life as an upload.